Sullivan County has become very desirable among upstate New York destinations. The real estate prices are still affordable, and the county has become a magnet for visual artists, musicians, dancers, performance artists and other creative people.

The recently renovated and reopened Catskill Art Space in Livingston Manor, currently showing renowned artists James Turrell and Sol Lewitt together with the  diverse restaurants and artisanal shops, make this town appealing for visitors and residents alike. Other similar towns in Sullivan County are striving to create an environment attractive for visitors and those looking for a beautiful and interesting place to live.

Grahamsville is one such town in the Catskill Park portion of Sullivan County. Its unique beauty and culture offer its residents much to be proud of. The Daniel Pierce Library is the largest library in the county, offering many programs for children and adults alike. The Time and Valleys Museum which provides a way to preserve the past through the unique history of Rondout and Neversink watershed for present and future generations, is another source of pride.

Currently, a new art center is opening at 4 p.m. on November 19 on Main Street  in Grahamsville. Sandra Dupal and Gina Sullivan have purchased the building. They are contributing to transforming Grahamsville into a cultural center. Gina is a real estate broker, together with Sandra who is opening her own gallery in the space to include visual artists, dancers, musicians and performing artists are both  devoting their time to enhancing the image of Grahamsville. 

The opening show will include four artists: Koki Doktori, Sandra Dupal, Moonching Wu and Maciej Toporowicz.  The idea for the gallery began about 25 years ago when Sandra Dupal ran an important gallery in Soho, NY. It was there she met the artist Koki Doktori who had a show at her gallery.  The theme of the Grahamsville show will deal with the human body, through abstraction, conceptual video and earthy images derived from the soil of Sullivan County.

As it happened, Sandra, an artist, who paints with oil on large canvases, and her husband Laurent, a well known chef with a prominent patisserie in Soho, and a large wholesale business supplying baked goods to restaurants and hotels, in NY City, NJ, Sullivan County and nationally purchased a farm in Grahamsville 25 years ago.  After visiting Sandra and Laurent for many years and falling in love with the nature and beauty of Sullivan County, Koki and his family joined the town and became residents of Grahamsville as well. Maciej and Moon, the other two artists in the show were introduced and taken by the beauty at the edge of the Catskill Mountains and have resided in Sullivan County for many years.

Real estate is booming in Grahamsville now and has become a destination for creative artists to be a part of something new and exciting.

The opening of the new art space will be stimulating for Grahamsville and the surrounding towns. For any questions contact Sandra at dalidada@mail.com